Another Chinese EV Startup Turns Profitable in China’s RMB 5 Trillion Auto Market
May 06, 2026 12:05 PM
Consumer-grade exoskeleton startup Hypershell (极壳科技) announced the completion of its $50 million Series B+ financing round co-led by Ant Group (蚂蚁集团) and Meituan DragonBall (美团龙珠), bringing its total Series B series funding to $120 million to accelerate its global leadership in human-augmentation robotics.
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On May 18, consumer-grade exoskeleton startup Hypershell (极壳科技) announced the completion of its $50 million Series B+ financing round. The round was co-led by Ant Group (蚂蚁集团) and Meituan Dragonball Capital (美团龙珠), with participation from Sofina and Granite Asia. Cygnus Equity (高鹄资本) served as the exclusive financial advisor. With this latest injection, Hypershell’s (极壳科技) total Series B financing has reached $120 million.
Hypershell (极壳科技) was founded in 2021 by Sun Kuan (孙宽), a tech entrepreneur born in the 1990s. While artificial intelligence and robotics were transforming industries, Sun Kuan (孙宽) bypassed the crowded humanoid robot track. Instead, he combined these technologies with ergonomics to enhance human capabilities through exoskeleton robots, giving birth to Hypershell (极壳科技). In just a few years, the company has attracted a premium lineup of investors, including IDG Capital (IDG资本), HongShan (红杉中国), Monolith (砺思资本), 5Y Capital (五源资本), Luminous Ventures (光合创投), Oasis Capital (绿洲资本), and Decent Capital (德迅投资), making the future of human augmentation closer than ever.
Unlike companies focused on conceptual demonstrations, the Hypershell (极壳科技) team targets consumer-grade applications. By adopting specific industrial designs such as carbon-fiber bodies, adjustable sizing, ultra-lightweight frames, and one-button operation, the company has resolved long-standing industry challenges of heavy, bulky, and expensive devices. It is the first enterprise to bring mechanical exoskeletons from the medical and industrial sectors directly to global consumers.
The Hypershell X Series served as the pioneer product for market validation. Utilizing its self-developed Omega patented architecture and AI MotionEngine™ algorithm, the company compressed the device weight to approximately 1.8 kilograms while achieving a peak motor power of 800W, offsetting 30% of the weight sensation for users. Under typical usage scenarios, it provides a battery range of 15 to 17.5 kilometers, earning Hypershell X Carbon the CES Best of Innovation Award in early 2025.
In September last year, the company introduced Hypershell X Ultra, which received the IFA Innovation Award. Priced around RMB 10,000, X Ultra’s upgrades focus on algorithm efficiency and battery life. It features second-generation adaptive motion recognition that identifies and adapts to 12 distinct postures, while offering preset terrain modes for cycling and hiking. This allows the exoskeleton to interpret the user’s next movement, creating natural human-machine synergy. Through coordinated hardware and software optimization, the overall efficiency of X Ultra increased by 25%, resulting in a 250% extension of battery life under high-intensity scenarios. Furthermore, Hypershell X Ultra became the world’s first SGS-certified outdoor exoskeleton, establishing a benchmark for an industry previously plagued by false parameter claims.
In terms of mass production, within less than three years of becoming a Kickstarter annual bestseller, Hypershell (极壳科技) has become the world’s top-selling consumer exoskeleton brand. Its sales channels span over 70 countries, with cumulative shipments reaching tens of thousands of units. Nationally, the brand secures the number one spot in both sales volume and market share on JD.com (京东); internationally, it consistently tops the sales charts on Amazon platforms in both the United States and Europe.
Currently, Hypershell (极壳科技) operates offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen with a team of nearly 200 people, over 70% of whom are dedicated to R&D. These engineers bring experience from top-tier global technology companies in robotics and consumer AI electronics. The company has accumulated hundreds of core technologies and patents, building a strong competitive moat alongside its mass-production capabilities.
On May 20, Hypershell (极壳科技) will globally launch its brand-new X Series. The new line integrates the HyperIntuition™ algorithm to blend perception, recognition, prediction, and action planning into a comprehensive closed-loop system. Moving away from preset gait templates, it interprets user movement intent in real time to achieve instinct-like, instantaneous collaboration. This product also represents the first end-to-end consumer-grade exoskeleton verified by TÜV Rheinland.
Another Chinese EV Startup Turns Profitable in China’s RMB 5 Trillion Auto Market
May 06, 2026 12:05 PM